Locals React to US Bombing of IS Complex in Southern Afghanistan

Following the United States’ bombing of what it said was an Islamic State (IS) tunnel complex in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province on April 13, locals spoke to Radio Free Afghanistan and described how the entire area was shaken by the blast.

The US military said it had dropped a GBU-43 MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast), the largest non-nuclear bomb in its arsenal, in the area on April 13. Video of the blast was released by the military on April 14. Afghan defense officials said at least 36 IS militants were killed in the strike, according to Reuters.

Two men speaking in this video describe how they were shaken in their homes. The first man describes the bomb as “powerful and horrific.” The second man says IS militants had driven his family from their home in the area targeted by the strike, and that they had not returned to the area due to fears of being taken prisoner by IS.

For information purposes, a version with English subtitles on the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty website is provided below, along with a transcription of those subtitles. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful